1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to a tool for removing arborescent material from the earth and more particularly to a removable tine structure for the tool that provides support for the removed root and earth structure and partial severance of that structure from earth structure below the tine structure during removal.
2. Background and Description of Prior Art
As the extraction of larger nursery stock has developed and progressed, especially from manual to mechanical methods, two different processes for extraction and preservation of the viability of the stock from the time of extraction to reestablishment in the earth have developed, the first being the xe2x80x9cballed rootxe2x80x9d process and second being the xe2x80x9cbare rootxe2x80x9d process.
The bare root mechanical extraction process is the older probably because of its similarity to previously existing manual extraction methods, but the most recent mechanical process to establish economic viability in the modern nursery industry, and that still most commonly used, is the balled root process. In the balled root mechanical extraction process, the ball of roots and associated earth material in proximity to the trunk or stem of a plant is preserved and the peripheral root system outside that area is removed by the extraction process or thereafter. The remaining root and earth ball then generally is encased either in some type of a wrapping, such as burlap or degradable cellulosic material established thereabout and maintained by tying or other fastening, or by placement in configurationally sustaining containers such as open top cans or pots. This method of extracting, transporting and merchandising trees, shrubs and other larger plants normally removes substantial amounts of the peripheral and tap root systems of the plants and may cause disruption of the overall biological systems of removed plants with resultant shock-type reactions that may be sufficient to kill the plants over a period of time, if not immediately, or to substantially lessen their viability.
In the bare root mechanical extraction process the soil about the roots of a tree, shrub or plant is loosened and thereafter the root structure is lifted from the earth to maintain a greater proportion of the peripheral root structure, and tap root if present, outside the central ball that would be preserved in the balled root extraction process. Bare root extraction generally tends to be less damaging to the biological system of the extracted plant because of its less destructive nature and, with proper maintenance of environmental conditions from the time of extraction to reestablishment of the extracted plant in the earth, the system tends to provide higher survival rates for nursery stock and generally makes transportation and storage of the extracted material easier and more simple. Though bare root type extraction, especially of larger nursery stock, has increased in the recent past, it probably is not and has not been so extensively used as balled root extraction largely because of the difficulties involved in the bare root extraction process and the lack of specific mechanical apparatus to efficiently and effectively accomplish it.
Traditional digging tools of mechanical earth moving equipment such as buckets, shovels and the like are not particularly effective in plant extraction as these tools tend to shear the earth where they enter it and this action also tends to shear or otherwise damage root structure in the path of the digging device to damage or destroy substantial amounts of that root structure in and outwardly of the digging area.
Attempts have been made to accomplish bare root extraction by pulling the roots of larger plants from the earth by use of machines such as shovels or cranes. A flexible tension element is fastened about the plant trunk or stem above the earth sustaining it and extracting by pulling the tension element and interconnected plant upwardly. This process has not proven particularly effective because, at the time of pulling, the peripheral root structure commonly is widespread, relatively delicate and substantially embedded in the surrounding earth. By reason of the comparatively low tensile strength of the peripheral root systems of plants and the nature of their earth embedment, substantial portions of the peripheral roots are damaged or severed from a plant removed in this manor. Usually fewer roots remain after pulling type extraction than would remain were the plant extracted by traditional balled root extraction methods.
The extraction tool that is the subject of the parent patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,104, hereafter ""104) provides a device particularly adapted for traditional bare root extraction of arboreous and other plant material. The instant invention provides a modified tine structure for the tool disclosed in the parent patent that just as simply and effectively provides for modified bare root extraction of arboreous or other plant material which maintains in place a substantial portion of earth imbedded about the plant root structure above the extractor tines. The instant invention retains the plural removable and interchangeable extracting tines of the parent tool with one or more vertically oriented fins depending from one or more of the extracting tines, while adding to one or more extracting tines, one or more horizontal fins, one or more somewhat horizontally orientated soil retaining plates, or combinations thereof. The horizontal fins and soil retaining plates are spaced relative to each other in a supportive areal array provides greater total horizontal surface area than do the tines of the parent extractor. Because of the greater total horizontal surface area of the extracting structure the earth above the structure is better separated from the earth therebelow during the extraction process and the material above the structure is better supported. This action tends to better preserve the extracted root and earth material above the extractor structure in its original state.
The forward facing edges of the horizontal fins and soil retaining plates slope laterally outward in a rearward direction to tend to move plant roots laterally along and away from the fin and plate edges as they move through the earth to lessen or prevent severance of and damage to contacted roots. The soil retaining plates also preferably have their laterally extending sides angulated downwardly in a vertical plane to further aid in moving contacted roots along the plate edges to further prevent root damage or severance.
The addition of horizontal fins tends to somewhat increase the vertical cross-sectional area of the extracting structure and this increases the force necessary to insert the extracting structure through the earth. The amount of required insertion force may be somewhat lessened by sharpening the forward earth contacting edges of the fins and plates. To accommodate the greater stresses and strains placed upon the instant extracting tool, the structure interconnecting the tool tines with the supporting tine beam has been modified to provide greater strength while yet maintaining the simple and easy releaseable interconnection of the tines with the tine beam.
The operation of the instant tool is substantially the same as the operation of the bare root extraction tool set forth in the parent patent ""104 which is therefore made a part of this application by reference as if set forth herein. The only difference in operation of the instant tool from that of its parent is that when the instant extracting structure is inserted through and under root structure, the horizontal fins and soil retaining plates will tend to separate the earth thereabove from the earth therebelow. If that earth contains roots, the plates and fins will tend to move those roots that they contacted outwardly along the contracting edges and out of the course of penetration of the plates and fins to lessen severance of the roots and damage to them. By reason of this action the tap root structure, if present, and the finer root structure will remain intact to substantially the same extent as if the fins and plates were not present. The soil above the fins and plates will be largely undisturbed and remain about the upper root structure of the plant. This process results in an extracted plant having substantially the root structure of bare root extraction, but yet with attached soil about the upper root structure substantially the same as in balled root extraction. This type of extraction is what is referred to as xe2x80x9cmodified bare root extractionxe2x80x9d herein.
The instant tine structure also serves a secondary function of better supporting plants or other extracted material for transport by reason of its greater total horizontal area.
The instant tool uses substantially the same supporting frame structure as that of the parent extractor tool and by reason of this provides the same economic viability of allowing operation by systems of existing earth moving vehicles having three point, four point or connecting plate type tool connectors. The parent extracting tool has found particular use with smaller vehicles of either the wheeled or track supported skidsteer type, such as the Bobcat(copyright) manufactured by Bobcat Company, 250 East Beaton Drive, West Fargo, N. Dak., and is readily attachable to the connecting plates of this type of vehicle.
The horizontal fins and soil retaining plates of the instant tool make it somewhat more effectively functional than the parent tool, as the instant tool provides substantially the same vertical fins with the addition of horizontal fins which tend to provide an additional stabilizing function in a vertical plane similar to that which the vertical fins provide in a horizontal plane. The instant extractor tends to stabilize tines in three dimensional space whereas the parent device tends to stabilize fins only in a somewhat horizontal two dimensional plane.
The instant tool further provides modified bare root extraction which provides a new and different product than either traditional bare root or balled root extraction, but yet one that may be easily modified into either traditional product. The earth about the upper root structure of the extracted plant may be readily removed to provide a bare root extracted product. The root structure extending beyond the earth about the upper portion of the roots may be selectively trimmed to provide a balled root type of extracted product.
The instant tool also provides substantially the same multi-functional use as the parent tool. It may be used in the horticultural industry for removing plants and stumps, for general land clearing, for removing various other material from the earth and for transporting materials generally. These multi-purpose functions tend to make the tool more economically viable, especially in small business operations.
My invention lies not in any one of these functions individually, but rather in the synergistic combination of all of its structures which necessarily gives rise to the functions flowing therefrom.
The modified bare root plant extractor provides a peripherally defined frame having structure for mounting on the tool connecting plate of an earth moving vehicle for transport and adjustable vertical and tilting motion. The frame provides an elongate laterally extending lower horizontal tine beam releaseably carrying a plurality of laterally spaced extracting tines extending forwardly from individual releaseable mounting structures. One or more of the extracting tines carry one or more vertically depending fins to provide strength and direct tine motion in a horizontal plane upon passage through the earth; one or more extracting tines carry one or more horizontal fins to direct tine motion in a vertical plane upon passage through the earth and provide support for earth and root material thereabove. One or more extracting tines carry one or more soil retaining plates to support earth and plant material thereabove.
In providing such a device it is
A principal object to create a tool for use on lifting and tilting connector structure of existing powering vehicles, such as tractors, backhoes and excavators, for modified bare root extraction of trees, plants and other material from the earth in which they are resident.
A further object is to provide such a tool that has a plurality of elongate, laterally spaced extraction tines that are inserted into the earth beneath an object to be removed and pivoted upwardly to loosen the object from the earth therebeneath for subsequent vertical lifting from the earth.
A further object is to provide such a tool that has extracting tines of substantial length and small cross-sectional area that carry one or more depending vertical fins to provide additional strength and guide tine motion during passage through the earth to aid in maintaining the relaxed array of the tines in a horizontal plane during their motion in the earth.
A further object is to provide such a tool wherein one or more Of the extracting tines carry one or more laterally extending horizontal fins to guide tine motion in a vertical plane during passage through the earth to aid in maintaining the relaxed array of the extracting rods during earth insertion, to aid in defining a separation plane between earth above and below the tine structure and to provide a larger horizontal surface area for support of extracted or transported materials.
A further object is to provide such a tool wherein one or more of the extracting tines carry one or more soil retaining plates to better support material thereabove and aid in separating earth above the plates from earth therebelow.
A further object is to provide such extracting tines that are releaseably interconnected to a supporting tine beam by collar structures providing simple and easy fastening and release of the tines while yet maintaining substantial rigidity and strength of the connection.
A still further object is to provide such a tool that when removing arboraceous or other plant material tends to preserve root structure in the course of tine insertion by moving roots laterally away from horizontal fins and soil retaining plates while leaving substantial amounts of soil surrounding the root structure above the tine insertion course for modified bare root type extraction.
A still further object is to provide such a tool that has multiple uses for extracting and moving materials to increase its economic viability.
A still further object is to provide such a tool that is of new and novel design, of rugged and durable nature, of simple and economic manufacture and one otherwise well suited to the uses and purposes for which it is intended.
Other and further objects of my invention will appear from the following specification and accompanying drawings which form a part hereof. In carrying out the objects of the invention however, it is to be understood that its essential features are susceptible of change in design and structural arrangement with only one preferred and practical embodiment of the best known mode being illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specified as is required.